About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

As with the capsules, please keep in mind that all references to “tonight” mean Friday…

Asheville High coach Danny Wilkins wonders what his team is walking into tonight.

Wilkins won’t truly know until the Cougars (3-2, 0-0) and Reynolds (3-3, 0-1) are situated across from one another in a rivalry game which is the most storied in Buncombe County football.

Between them, the two programs have 15 conference championships and two state titles (2005 and 2009) in the past eight years alone.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 from the Rockets’ Dalton Stadium.

It would be hard for a Hollywood writer to script what has occurred in the recent history of the rivalry.

Asheville rallied from a 29-0 deficit in the final minute of the second quarter to win at Reynolds, 35-29, in 2011. And then last year, former Cougars quarterback David Howerton found senior Danquiries Green for an 80-yard touchdown pass with 21.9 seconds to go in a 34-30 win at Asheville.

It marked the first time in eight years that the home team was victorious.

Take all of that into account, and add onto the fact that the Rockets are coming off a surprisingly-lopsided 69-28 loss at Erwin. Less than 48 hours later, former Reynolds running back A.J. Marion was shot to death by Asheville police during a reported break-in.

C.J. Allen (7) and Levi Ledford celebrate after a touchdown in the 2012 Asheville High-Reynolds football game.

Rockets quarterback Levi Ledford (1,173 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions) is one of at least five current players who were teammates with Marion during his final varsity season in 2011 – the others are Caelan Rhinehardt, Cameron Burton, Chance Towery and Andrew Long.

Marion began his high school career at Asheville and eventually rushed for 3,902 yards and 39 touchdowns with the Rockets.

“Besides the rivalry, there is some extra fuel to the fire for Reynolds,” Wilkins said.

“They’re a proud program and I guarantee you they have circled the wagons. We’re going to get the full storm (tonight). The worst thing that could have probably happened for us happened (with the Erwin game). We have got to be ready, emotionally and mentally, to match their desperation, emotion and intensity. And then on top of that, we’ve got to find a way to out-execute them.”

Cougars senior Markevis Davis (45 tackles) became the first current Western North Carolina senior to make a college football commitment (Charlotte) earlier this week. Davis plays rover, which is a hybrid defensive back/linebacker position.

Green was an All-MAC selection in 2012 and leads the defense in tackles (72), followed by Bryson Bradley (68) and Fred Lindsey (55).

As for the offense, junior Tevin Salters (557 yards and seven touchdowns and four interceptions) has accumulated all his passing yardage in the past four games.

Cameron Ray (196 yards, four touchdowns) returned from a serious ankle sprain in Asheville’s last outing – a 34-16 home win over the Q. Foundation.

Jermaine Battle (235 yards, two touchdowns) is the Cougars’ leading rusher and has also hauled in a team-high 10 receptions for 124 yards. Travis Lytle has rushed for 204 yards.

“This game is a big deal and a huge one in our conference,” Wilkins said.

“We hope we’ve gotten a few extra things done during our bye week. We’ve gotten some people healthy. We’ve been a little more physical and then eased off with some of the kids who needed to heal.”

Ledford (4,122 career passing yards) may be a game or two away from breaking the school record (4,385) held by 2011 graduate Caleb Pressley.

His favorite receivers have been C.J. Allen (30 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns), Rhinehardt (17 receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown) and Khiry Lytle (12 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns).

Reynolds’ top rushing options for tonight’s game are Rico Dowdle (299 yards, four touchdowns) and A.J. Logan (203 yards, two touchdowns), while the defense is fronted by Andrew Swicegood (55 tackles), Long (36), Towery (34) and Jake Cardillo (34).

For the second consecutive week, one of the top teams in the MAC 3-A division is coming off a bye week for Rockets coach Shane Laws’ team.

“With everything that has been going on, it’s really been a rough go for this team, but they’ve handled it all about as well as they could,” Laws said.

“We don’t have much choice. We’ve got another good opponent coming in here (tonight). What I’ve told the kids is that it’s Asheville. And they’re another good Asheville team that I know is going to play well and be prepared. I’ve been here 15-16 years and I’ve yet to see an Asheville team that isn’t ready when they play Reynolds.”

Asheville leads the overall series with Reynolds, 16-14.

ASHEVILLE AT REYNOLDS

Kickoff: 7:30 tonight.

Pick: Reynolds by 1.

Following is a look at the last five football games between Asheville High and Reynolds:

2012: Asheville 34, Reynolds 30.

2011: Asheville 35, Reynolds 29.

2010: Reynolds 41, Asheville 13.

2009: Asheville 35, Reynolds 24.

2008: Reynolds 17, Asheville 10.

COMING TONIGHT: Log onto CITIZEN-TIMES.com/hshuddle for a live blog from the Franklin-Pisgah football game. Updates will begin shortly before kickoff.

BLACK MOUNTAIN—A great performance by a running back at Charles D. Owen High School has qualified for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Record Book.

Jager Gardner of Owen was credited with a whopping 459 yards in 32 carries and five touchdowns as he led the Warhorses to a come-from-behind 36-27 victory over Avery.

Gardner’s 459 yards rushing is the sixth-best single game rushing performance recorded in the NCHSAA Record Book. The single-game state record is 510, set by T.J. Logan of Northern Guilford in the NCHSAA state 3-AA championship game in December.

Gardner’s scoring runs came on tallies of 80, 43, 27, 6 and 80 yards as Owen rallied from a 27-15 halftime deficit.

Our thanks to coach Kenny Ford and the Owen statistics crew for providing appropriate documentation for this achievement.

Notes: Eureka, Erwin. Lots of mouths were left agape by the 62-point first half engineered by Austin Brown (1,463 yards and 15 touchdowns with three interceptions), Kelman Simpson (595 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Jonathan Allen (32 receptions for 508 yards and six touchdowns) last Friday. Fellow senior Jordan Tigar (18 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns) had a season-high 151 recieving yards and an Erwin defense that relies heavily on Dakota Wright (53 tackles), Tigar (40), Mitchell Chancey (36) and DeAngelo Collington (33), held Reynolds to 14 points through the first three quarters. Meanwhile, Enka became the final MAC team to win a game behind three touchdowns from Tommy Holloway, including a 83-yard punt return. The Jets have used three different quarterbacks this season, including senior Shadow Christenson, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns last Friday. Overall, Erwin leads this western Buncombe County series, 27-23, and has won five of the last six meetings. Both of tonight’s coaches are Enka graduates – Erwin’s Mike Sexton got his diploma in 1985, 11 years before the Jets coach Jeff Frady.

Pick: Erwin by 21.

NORTH BUNCOMBE (2-4, 0-1) at MCDOWELL (2-4, 0-1)

Last week: North Buncombe lost to Enka, 35-13; McDowell lost to Roberson, 49-28.

Last year: McDowell beat North Buncombe, 42-0.

Notes: Giving it his all? Caleb Gwaltney could not contribute much more to his football team. The North Buncombe senior has 19 more tackles (53) than any other Black Hawks defender and ranks second in rushing yardage (229) with a team-high three touchdowns across the ground. Sophomore quarterback Chase Parker (548 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions) threw a pair of touchdowns a week ago to leading receiver Austin Sheperd (15 receptions for 325 yards and five touchdowns). Dylan Fox (363 yards, two touchdowns) and the Black Hawks have won both their games on the road and will hope to keep that mojo in Marion. McDowell scored 22 points in its first three games, but has gotten rolling since Casey Ray (642 yards and six touchdowns with four interceptions) took over the offense. The quarterback that Ray replaced is his top receiver – Dallas Myers (19 receptions for 282 yards and three touchdowns). D.J. Martin, Legend Pressley and Nick Robinson have all made 29 tackles for the Titans defense.

Pick: McDowell by 7.

ASHEVILLE (3-2, 0-0) at REYNOLDS (3-3, 0-1)

Last week: Asheville did not play; Reynolds lost to Erwin, 69-28.

Last year: Asheville beat Reynolds, 34-30.

Notes: Football will still be at the forefront. But the latest installment of arguably Buncombe County’s best rivalry will be a somber one, as it is the first Asheville High-Reynolds game since the shooting death of A.J. Marion on Sunday. Marion, a former All-WNC tailback for the Rockets who graduated in 2012 with 3,902 yards and 39 touchdowns, began his high school with the Cougars. Reynolds quarterback Levi Ledford (1,173 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions) is one of at least five Reynolds players who were teammates with Marion in 2011 – the others are Caelan Rhinehardt, Cameron Burton, Chance Towery and Andrew Long. Ledford (4,122 career passing yards) may be a game or two away from breaking the school record (4,385) held by 2011 graduate Caleb Pressley. Last year’s Asheville-Reynolds game was the first in eight seasons that the home team won. Cougars back Cameron Ray (196 yards, four touchdowns) has recovered from a serious ankle sprain, adding strength to an Asheville running game led by Jermaine Battle (235 yards, two touchdowns). Meanwhile, Tevin Salters (557 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions) is approaching a 1,000-yard season thanks to receivers like Battle (10 receptions for 124 yards) and Jalyn Folston (five receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns). The Cougars’ most prolific defenders are Danquiries Green (72 tackles), Bryson Bradley (68), Fred Lindsey (55) and Markevis Davis (45). Davis (Charlotte) is the first WNC senior to make a college football commitment.

Notes: Imagine what the scene will be like two weeks from now for a Pisgah-Tuscola game if both stay on their present course? Each of the Haywood County teams is off to their best start in at least four years. The Mountaineers have already improved on last year’s 3-8 season with an offense powered by Bryce Myers (705 yards, eight touchdowns) and Woody Cornwell (468 yards and five touchdowns), who has yet to throw an interception. Cornwell’s favorite receiver has been Adam Chambers (11 receptions for 110 yards and three touchdowns). The defense relies largely on the work of Houston McCracken (36 tackles), Ben Greene (33) and Jon Martinez (33). Both of Brevard’s wins have come on the road, meaning the Blue Devils will be bidding for their first home triumph since 2011 tonight. Anthony Benjamin has been responsible for four of the 11 touchdowns scored by the Transylvania County team the past two weeks.

Notes: Technically, tonight is not a winner-take-all game for the WNCAC championship. It just might feel like it though. A standing-room only crowd is expected to fill the Panther Pit to watch Jeremiah Young (902 yards, 13 touchdowns), Luke Keener (653 yards and five touchdowns with one interception) and Franklin try to protect their status as the 2-A/3-A league’s preseason favorite. The Panthers are No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press 2-A poll and ranked second among NCHSAA 2-A teams by NCPreps.com. The defense of Young (6.5 tackles a game), Dalton Cochran (5.2), Seth Pruitt (4.3) and Khaleb Scott (4.2) will try to limit a Pisgah team off to its best start since 2009 under first-year coach Brett Chappell. McKinley Brown (980 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions) threw four touchdowns last Friday, three of which ended up in the hands of Jesse Anderson (23 receptions for 322 yards and six touchdowns). Leading tackler Vadrey Couch (44) also rushed for 115 yards last Friday. Franklin has won four of the last five games in this series.

Pick: Franklin by 1.

EAST HENDERSON (0-5, 0-1) at NORTH HENDERSON (2-3, 1-0)

Last week: East Henderson lost to Pisgah, 42-14; North Henderson beat West Henderson, 34-7.

Last year: East Henderson beat North Henderson, 63-6.

Notes: Face it, Cory Foster has receiving skills that will fit any North Henderson quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound senior has run routes for three different ones, including current starter Trevor Craft (675 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions), and still manages to lead WNC in receiving with 38 catches for 716 yards and eight touchdowns. Craft has also made good use of the hands belonging to Dalton Whitaker (20 receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns) and Tyler Sargent (14 receptions for 157 yards and one touchdown), while Caleb Rogers (260 yards, two touchdowns) and Tucker Garren (232 yards, four touchdowns) have kept defenses honest with his rushing ability. Garren is also the team’s No. 1 tackler (38), followed by Garrett Moore (28). East Henderson only had 76 yards of total offense last Friday.

Pick: North Henderson by 21.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN (2-3, 0-1) at WEST HENDERSON (0-5, 0-1)

Last week: Smoky Mountain lost to Tuscola, 38-12; West Henderson lost to North Henderson, 34-7.

Last year: Smoky Mountain beat West Henderson, 21-20.

Notes: West Henderson’s offense needs to get Goings. Brendan Goings (353 yards, three touchdowns) has been the most productive member of the team’s triple-option attack, followed by fellow juniors Alex Ball (281 yards two touchdowns) and William Crouch (255 yards and one touchdown with five interceptions). But the young Falcons, who have only seven seniors, are coming off their worst performance, points-wise, of the season. That puts even more pressure on defenders like Casone Ward (53.5 tackles) and Jonathan Perrone (42.5) Likewise, after scoring 98 points in its first three games, Smoky Mountain has just 26 in the past two. Chase Morgan (758, six touchdowns) is closing in on another 1,000-yard season and Zeb Speir (717 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions) is nearing his first as a quarterback.

Pick: Smoky Mountain by 7.

Western Highlands 1-A/2-A

HENDERSONVILLE (2-4, 0-1) at MADISON (3-2, 0-1)

Last week: Hendersonville lost to Mountain Heritage, 36-21; Madison lost to Polk County, 21-7.

Last year: Hendersonville beat Madison, 44-21.

Notes: What a difference a year makes in the WHC. The two front-running teams in 2012 both lost their league openers last Friday. Two-time defending champion Hendersonville has dropped three consecutive games for the first time since 2007, even with Lucas Brovet leading WNC in tackles (17.2 per game). Cole Cleary (736 rushing yards, 733 passing yard and 14 combined touchdowns) and Terrold Gary (286 yards, one touchdown) will try to get the Bearcats back on track tonight in Marshall. Tyler Hoffman (885 yards, 11 touchdowns) is averaging a workmanlike 26.2 carries a game for the Madison offense, while the Patriots are led on the other side of the ball by Daniel Nash (57 tackles), Derrick English (56) and Dylan Hilemon (55). Madison has won 11 straight games at home, a streak that started in 2011.

Notes: Look at them now. Mountain Heritage and Trevor Robinson (862 passing yards, 742 rushing yards and 23 combined touchdowns) are the proud owners for a four-game winning streak after starting out 0-2. Robinson’s dual-threat ability has been accentuated by fellow Cougars such as Dalton Robinson (589 yards, five touchdowns) and Jake McClellan (22 receptions for 353 yards and three touchdowns). Colby Presnell (54) is the team’s top tackler. Polk County and Reece Schlabach (921 passing yards, 411 rushing yards and 15 combined touchdowns) were 0-3 prior to their three-game winning streak. Schlabach’s passing numbers continue to be aided greatly by fellow senior Anthony Carson (33 receptions for 501 yards and four touchdowns) and junior Jordan Smith (11 receptions for 266 yards and one touchdown).

Pick: Polk County by 1.

MITCHELL (1-4, 0-0) at OWEN (4-1, 1-0)

Last week: Mitchell did not play; Owen beat Avery County, 36-27.

Last year: Owen beat Mitchell, 49-0.

Notes: It’s official. The NCHSAA has certified last Friday’s 459-yard performance from Owen junior Jager Gardner (1,162 yards, 14 touchdowns) as a WNC single-game record. Murphy’s Willie Brown (457 yards) had owned the mark since 1974. Gardner also took over the area lead in rushing with his five-touchdown performance and the former All-WHC running back now has 2,714 yards in the past two seasons. Gardner’s offensive line consists of Quentin Carver, Grant Dickerson, Taylor Earley, Mason Eades and Seth Penley. And that group also clears the way for Sam Drummond (590 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions) and Zee Johnston (403 yards, four touchdowns). The Warhorses defense is a unit led by Cade Fox (49 tackles), Tucker Lowery (40) and Austin Bennett (37). Their primary concerns tonight will be slowing down Mitchell’s Dalton Beaver (300 yards, three touchdowns) and Cy Thomas (244 yards, two touchdowns). Beaver (45 tackles) and Michael Thomas (41) power the Mountaineers defense.

Notes: Could it be an omen for Cherokee and first-year coach Kiah Smith? For three consecutive weeks, the team with the longest active losing streak in WNC (North Buncombe, Andrews and then Enka) has won a game. Kennan Panther (84 tackles) and the Braves will be looking for a similar breakthrough to cease an eight-game skid that dates back to 2012. It won’t be easy for Cherokee offensive standouts like Tyler Brown (293 rushing yards) and Jason McMillan (192 yards and two touchdowns with seven interceptions) against the hottest team in the SMC. Murphy’s combination of Deion Johnson (598 yards, seven touchdowns) and Kenton Braswell (490 yards, nine touchdowns) has allowed the Bulldogs to win a league-best four consecutive games after a woeful 0-2 start in which Murphy was outscored, 91-23. Johnson and Braswell get their handoffs from first-year quarterback Dalton Kent (613 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions).

Pick: Murphy by 21.

ANDREWS (1-4, 0-0) at ROBBINSVILLE (4-1, 0-1)

Last week: Andrews did not play; Robbinsville lost to Swain County, 27-21.

Last year: Robbinsville beat Andrews, 63-6.

Notes: Overtime losses are a heartbreaker like no other. Especially at home and with all that was at stake for Robbinsville and Cruz Galaviz (789 yards, 13 touchdowns) a week ago versus Swain County. Galaviz hauled in the only touchdown pass from Dakota Crisp (763 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions) last Friday. Defensive leaders for the Black Knights continue to be Skyler Matheson (62 tackles), Brandon Lee (59), Galaviz (54) and Creed Lovin (53). Andrews and Colin Gillespie (469 yards, five touchdowns) have not been in action since shaking an 11-game losing streak on Sept. 20 with a 33-20 win over Copper Basin (Tenn.). Gillespie rushed for 128 yards in that game and scored all three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter. His quarterback, Jacob Moore (439 yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions) ranks second in team rushing with 215 yards and four touchdowns. Top tacklers for the Wildcats have been Dylan McCubbin (37), Jacob Whitaker (36) and Bristol Brockwell (31).

Notes: Styles make matchups, and the styles could not be any more opposed for this game. Few WNC offenses have committed as much to the pass as Hayesville – quarterbacks Isaac Mills (605 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions) and Bryce Clapsaddle (210 yards and two touchdowns with one interception) have directed the majority of their passes to Tyler Leek (26 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns). The Yellow Jackets only have one rusher with 100 or more yards – Caleb Nuckolls (145 yards, three touchdowns). Rosman adheres to a run-oriented philosophy, as evidenced by the work of Austin Anders (562 yards, six touchdowns), Tanner Green (471 yards, six touchdowns), Josh Rice (275 yards, five touchdowns) and Landon Shipman (216 yards, one touchdown). The Tigers have just 78 passing yards in six games. Green has made a team-high 37 tackles, followed by Stetson Cauble (31), Trey Brown (23) and Jacob Hall (21).

Pick: Rosman by 1.

NCISAA

ASHEVILLE SCHOOL (0-4) at RABUN GAP (3-3), 4:30 p.m.

Last week: Asheville School lost to Charlotte Latin, 54-14; Rabun Gap lost to Thomas Jefferson, 35-13.

Last year: Asheville School beat Rabun Gap, 47-38.

Notes: Life as a winless football team in Buncombe County is getting lonely for Asheville School. The Blues and the duo of Jay Evans (521 yards, three touchdowns) and Naeem Swinton (361 yards, one touchdown) will try to become the final Buncombe school, public or private, to win a football game this afternoon in Georgia. Parent’s weekend at Rabun Gap (Ga.) holds special significance for one family who formerly resided in Asheville. Eagles sophomore quarterback Dallas Earnhardt has passed for 793 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception for his father, Dale, who compiled a 33-37 record as Asheville School’s coach before resigning in 2007.

To coincide with national breast cancer awareness month, North Henderson is holding a “Friday Football Family Tailgate” fundraiser prior to Friday’s home game against East Henderson.

The event will last from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the school and include bounce houses, face-painting and other games for children. The cost to participate is $5 per car and $5 hot dog plates will be available for purchase.

All proceeds will go to families who have a parent with a life-threatening illness.

Partly by default and mostly by skill, three state-ranked Buncombe County soccer teams entered the month of October without a conference loss.

Roberson (14-0-2, 6-0-0) was the only unbeaten Western North Carolina squad in the sport coming into Wednesday’s home game versus McDowell. The defending Mountain Athletic Conference 4-A champions were scheduled to play at Reynolds (13-3-0, 7-0-0) last week, but that game was postponed to Oct. 10.

The Rams (4-A) and Rockets (3-A) are No. 5 in their respective classifications in this week’s N.C. Soccer Coaches Association polls, while Owen (12-2-0, 7-0-0) is third in 2-A.

That’s four spots higher than No. 7 Smoky Mountain (11-2-1, 7-0-0) which had yet to lose a game in the WNC Athletic Conference. Highlands (12-2-1) was 6-0-0 in the Smoky Mountain Conference.

“It seems like everyone in Western North Carolina is improving each year,” Roberson coach Rob Wilcher said.

“The competition gets much tougher, not only in our conference but all throughout the area. It’s a credit to all the high school coaches who are doing their job to make their programs better.”

Now in his 19th year as boys coach in Skyland, Wilcher won his 400th career game with the Rams last month. As of Wednesday, his top scorers were Appalachian State recruit Austin Stamey (14 goals) and Ben Chapel (10). Alex Lewis had a team-high 11 assists, followed by VMI recruit Cam Wood and Christian Gutierrez with seven apiece.

As of Wednesday, no MAC team had scored on Reynolds and its pair of goalkeepers, Eric Lenhart and Parker Johnson.

Hector Gutierrez (17 goals), John Diavatis (13) and Fabian Fairclough (11) each had more than 10 goals, while the Rockets’ assists leaders have been Gutierrez (11), Diavatis (nine) and Daniel Kearns (seven).

“We gave up some goals early on because we were a little loose in the back. We’ve really changed it and it’s worked so far. I think the quality of play in (Buncombe) really says a lot for the county and Western North Carolina as a whole. It’s an exciting time, and locally, it’s really a credit to what (the Asheville-based Highland Football Club) has done.”

Owen’s Jesse Foreman

The Rockets travel to Owen tonight, where there has been no letdown after last year’s 19-2-0 season.

Jesse Foreman came into Wednesday with 20 goals for the Warhorses. Matt Brouwer had 20 assists and goalkeeper Sam Linton has made 78 saves.

“I have so much respect for (Gladys) as a peer and friend,” Owen coach Tate MacQueen said.

“We want to play. The two schools are reasonably close and the players know each other. It should make for a good game. It’s all about having fun with serious competition and getting back to the joy of soccer.”

Tonight’s Owen-Reynolds game starts at 7 in Swannanoa.

The Warhorses have already played Roberson close, dropping a 1-0 decision loss on Aug. 28. Owen was on an eight-game winning streak ahead of Wednesday’s game at Avery County.

Not to be forgotten, Buncombe also has a trio of state-ranked private-school teams — Christ School (5-5-5) is No. 14 in this week’s NCISAA 3-A poll, while Asheville Christian Academy (9-3-4) was sixth in NCISAA 2-A and Carolina Day (6-5-2) was 12th.

Marquel Manning has been cleared to return to the Franklin football team, but it won’t be for Friday’s huge Western North Carolina Athletic Conference home game against Pisgah (4-1, 1-0).

Panthers coach Josh Brooks said tonight that Manning is waiting for a custom knee brace to arrive and will resume workouts with Franklin (5-0, 1-0) on Monday at the earliest. The hope is that Manning then might be able to play on Oct. 11 at Cowee Mountain rival Smoky Mountain.

Manning led all mountain rushers with 2,364 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2012, earning the senior a spot on the Citizen-Times All-WNC team.

But he suffered a serious injury in the Panthers’ season-opening 40-17 win over Murphy on Aug. 30. Manning tore a medial collateral ligament and suffered damage to an anterior cruciate ligament and a bone bruise. He has not played since then.

Brooks said that another injured running back, fullback Billy Higdon, will be a gametime decision on Friday.